The first year with your baby has been a whirlwind of countless “firsts.” First smile. First food. First steps. And now it’s time for the ultimate first: your baby’s first birthday celebration!

While you might be sad to have the baby stage come to an end, remember this: one is fun! Make the most of this momentous milestone by planning a big birthday bash for your little one, complete with a custom baby smash cake just for your baby. Read on to learn what it is, how to pick the right one for your baby’s first birthday cake and a few other smash cake ideas.

What is a Smash Cake?

A smash cake is a baby-sized cake just for the birthday babe. They are a fun, messy, and super photographable way for your baby to dive—face first!—into their first birthday celebration.  

Typically, a smash cake is placed in front of the pint-sized guest of honor for them to smash and smear all over their face, hair, and body (and if they’re lucky, they’ll maybe even get a little bit of cake into their mouth). It’s become a staple of twenty-first century first birthday celebrations across the country…and is typically followed by a much-needed bath.

Why Should You Have a Smash Cake?

As trends go, the smash cake is pretty practical with lots and lots of benefits.

For starters, what’s a birthday party without cake? And who wants to eat a cake that’s been manhandled by an infant? The smash cake adds a little fun to the party for your baby and your guests. Your baby will love digging into the cake and smushing and smashing it between their little fingers, and guests will love watching the cuteness (and knowing that there’s a separate, slobber-free cake for them to enjoy afterwards).

Another point in the smash cake’s favor is that it makes it easy to let your baby have their cake and eat it too without loading up on the sugar and other not-so-great-for-them ingredients you’ve been trying to avoid. Many times, smash cakes are a healthier take on cake, sweetened with natural sweeteners like mashed bananas, apple sauce or maple syrup, decorated with natural food dyes, and substituting yogurt for frosting.

How to Serve a Smash Cake… Without Making a Huge Mess

Your baby’s smash cake moment is perfect for Instagram but the aftermath? Not so much. We’ve got some tips to help you contain the mess:

• Use an easy-to-clean high chair like the 4moms® Connect High Chair™, which was specially designed to easily wipe clean, with a removable foam seat insert and dishwasher safe tray liner. You can also place a tarp or plastic sheeting under the high chair to protect your floor from flying crumbs and frosting. Afterwards, just roll up the tarp for instant clean up.
• Want to keep baby clean? Let them enjoy their first birthday cake in their birthday suit, use a full coverage bib to protect their party clothes, or slip them into an old, over-sized t-shirt that you can can just strip off and toss when they’re done smearing, er… eating.

And be prepared that not all babies know exactly what to do when a cake is placed before them. You may need to give your baby a spoon and give them a little encouragement—or even show them how it’s done.

Baby’s First Birthday Cake Ideas

Now for the fun part: picking the theme. Here are some fun smash cake ideas for your baby's 1st birthday cake:

1. Create a confetti-like confection with sprinkles. You can go the minimalist route and artfully scatter sprinkles on the sides of the cake in a subtle design or go bold and sprinkle on the fun by stenciling a number 1 on top of the cake with bright rainbow sprinkles and nonpareils.
2. Toddlers and dinosaurs go together like peanut butter and jelly. If you’ve got a little one who thinks dinosaurs are dino-mite, check out this influencer’s adorable PB&J dino smash cake creation.
3. Your baby is the sunshine in your life—so sunflowers are a sweet theme to celebrate this special day. Frost the sides of the baby smash cake with a white and gold ombre design, and top with edible sunflowers made from icing.
4. Want a cake that will light up your baby’s eyes? Recreate their favorite cartoon character or cuddly monster in cake form.
5. Is a baby-ish theme not really your style? Take some inspiration from this mom, who designed a baby smash cake that looked like her favorite coffee drink and got some adorable shots of her little one smashing right into the foamy frosting.

What Size is a Smash Cake?

Whatever design you ultimately choose, you’ll want a cake that’s about 4 inches in diameter and 4-5 inches tall so you can still see your baby’s cute face when you put the cake in front of them.

Have a Smashing Good Time

Your baby’s first birthday cake is going to light them up, no matter what, so don’t stress about the mess or whether or not you got the perfect picture—instead focus on how far you’ve already come together as a family and all the birthday celebrations and memories you’ll enjoy in the years ahead.